Description

The Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance (ASHA) was created to protect permanently more than 86 million hectares of tropical rainforests in the headwaters of the Amazon River. The region has an estimated population of 500,000, including isolated indigenous groups, and is home to the highest levels of biodiversity in the entire Amazon basin. The initiative is a collaborative effort among Amazonian indigenous federations representing 30 indigenous communities. The Luce Foundation previously provided support to ASHA to complete and publish a multi-year plan for the bioregion—developed cooperatively by all the stakeholders. The present grant will enable ASHA to continue to build the capacity of the Indigenous stewards of the region, through re-granting and training, to support efforts to halt extraction and enforce environmental laws, and to sustain the operations of the ASHA secretariat.